Linus, 19, said he thought he could use a search button in World of Warcraft when he tried to look for his older brother in a crowd. Others said they unwittingly acted out situations inspired by games

Another gamer, Milton, 19, said when he dropped a sandwich after playing Prince Of Persia: Sands Of Time his finger ‘twitched’ as he tried to retrieve it with his console.

Needless to say, #gamestransferphenomena is now a trending topic on Twitter.

NecroKnight

21-09-2011, 10:38 AM

Lol, this is funny. During summer break I played computer games circa 10h a week & I never experienced this "game transfer phenomena" . Actually, I don't think something like this ever happened to me.

Drake Sigar

21-09-2011, 10:45 AM

Twenty years of heavy gaming and I’ve never experienced this. Not even a little.

A study of 42 gamers aged 15 to 21 who played for at least ten hours a week revealed that most have experienced ‘games transfer phenomena’ – doing or thinking things in real life as if they were still in a fantasy environment.
Researchers from Nottingham Trent university said gamers sometimes use reflex actions instinctively picked up over hours in front of the screen.

One 15-year-old named Simon admitted wanting to use a ‘gravity gun’ from the game Half Life to fetch something from the fridge.
Wah? Wanting a fictional item? Yes that's exactly the same thing as believing you're in a game.

Ian

21-09-2011, 10:58 AM

I wish I was a billionaire.

OMG! I'm a mad fantasist who can't tell the difference between being and not being a billionaire!

Fetch the straitjacket, lads.

Xercies

21-09-2011, 11:22 AM

Wow of course they would start out with the negative "like recreating killing pedestrians from GTA". For fucks sake and its in there twice. Ergh!

Lambchops

21-09-2011, 12:30 PM

God bless the Metro.

Vexing Vision

21-09-2011, 12:47 PM

And now a major feature on RPS (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2011/09/21/fantasy-and-reality-can-gamers-tell/#more-74875) with far better analysis.

Lovely article, but I'd go with less ranting and more headshaking. We'll never make them understand that flamethrowers are harmless, stealing cars is good for the economy and vigilantism versus demon-infested co-workers is a necessity to keep our reality intact.

ColOfNature

21-09-2011, 03:47 PM

Does vaguely wondering if I could launch myself clear over my neighbours' roof with a Portal count?

Xercies

21-09-2011, 03:58 PM

I think if you play Portal and don't want a portal gun in real life you have no soul...

icupnimpn2

21-09-2011, 06:29 PM

I remember everyone wanted the dang hoverboard from Back to the Future II. Kids at my school would straight up lie about having seen a real one, and for years there were playground rumors that one existed but that was too dangerous so would not be sold in America.

That didn't mean kids thought that they were Michael J. Fox.

thegooseking

21-09-2011, 10:43 PM

What I love about this is that there's what the study tells us: that people who perform repetitive tasks continue to think in terms of those tasks after completing the task, which is (a) common sense, and (b) nothing scientifically new. Then there's what the Metro (<s>and the authors of the paper, apparently</s>) want it to mean.

What I love about this is that what the study actually tells us is reality, and what the Metro wants it to mean is pure fantasy. Sorry, gamers can't tell the difference between reality and fantasy?

(Edit: Having read Prof. Griffiths' clarification, it does seem more like the paper is just not very well-written than trying to push any sort of agenda, and that will always be the case in a new, small field, even one with such obvious overlaps with more established fields.)

Jiiiiim

22-09-2011, 12:11 AM

I know I once tried to double-click an odd sock to select all socks of the same type.

Nalano

22-09-2011, 03:15 AM

I, for one, am glad I don't have to go through life with an RPG inventory system.

"Oh, he wants me to write the number down, okay... scrolling... scrolling... getting to the Ps... ah! Pencil. Damnit, selected pistol. Now everybody's screaming and running away. It's gonna be a long day."

ColOfNature

22-09-2011, 03:43 AM

On the other hand, the ability to carry all of my worldly goods simultaneously might prove useful.

Nalano

22-09-2011, 04:00 AM

On the other hand, the ability to carry all of my worldly goods simultaneously might prove useful.

'Course, RPGs never really did solve the problem that, while carrying 200lbs of equipment long distances is certainly possible, nobody actually does that. Hell, convincing people to carry a 6lb laptop most days gets difficult.

icupnimpn2

22-09-2011, 06:59 AM

After spending time in the RPS forums I find myself holding a speak & spell up to my face and trying to multi-quote in conversation... and end up speaking gibberish.

Nalano

22-09-2011, 07:05 AM

After spending time in the RPS forums I find myself holding a speak & spell up to my face and trying to multi-quote in conversation... and end up speaking gibberish.

Thanks to tablets and 3G, you never have to leave your fantasy world at all!